Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini after first day of the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich)

Bruxelles, 07/09/2017 - 20:06, UNIQUE ID: 170907_15

Remarks

The Ministers discussed the proposals I made to them on our common stand on North Korea. We agreed first of all to support the United Nations Security Council taking further measures in terms of economic restrictions on the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], and we also decided that we would, together, make sure that third countries would implement fully whatever decisions the UN Security Council will take.

We also decided to potentially complement further decisions of the UN Security Council in terms of sanctions with autonomous measures of the European Union. So the work on preparing further EU sanctions will start. And all this pressure, both in terms of UN sanctions implementation and in terms of EU autonomous sanctions, is aimed at opening channels for diplomatic dialogue that at the moment are not present.

We have always believed, as the European Union, that sanctions are not a goal in themselves, but an instrument to encourage taking credible positions in terms of political dialogue. And the European Union is and will continue to be ready to accompany such a credible dialogue on the political level to arrive at a full de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

I would also like to add that we are extremely determined and united in the European Union to fully support the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, starting from full support to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and the CTBT [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty] Organisation, and we will actively work together with our partners in the region and the international community to achieve this. More economic pressure, encouraging a diplomatic dialogue to be opened, and the strengthening of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Thank you.